Duly Noted

After a very successful Friday date "night" (it was 4 in the afternoon*), a huge storm hit Minneapolis and we lost power for over 72 hours!  I have never been without power that long except for camping.  Initially, an unintentional power outage was a nuisance.  We moved food into coolers and bought ice.  We found our headlamps and changed Misha by flashlight (he thought that was pretty hilarious).  We couldn't use the internet.  Irked that our neighbors across the street had power, Mike muttered some great one liners: "The block of despair," and "We are the forgotten." By Sunday afternoon, no power was my new normal.  Who needs power in the height of summer?  The power outage occurred on the longest day of the year.  We had hours of sunlight and warmth.  Our gas stove worked as did our hot water.  A generous friend offered her basement refrigerator as storage for our food that survived the first 24 hours...and Misha's food doesn't spoil!  Wit

Just hanging out with one of my favorite guys on a summer afternoon. 

This past weekend was of the toodling variety.  What's toodling, you ask?  Toodling involves doing this and that, following one's whims. Friday was a fairly lazy day.  Mike and I declared Fridays as "M-Cubed Day," a day of adventures with little Misha. We were talking about going to the Landscape Arboretum (our wedding locale) this past Friday, but Misha fell asleep and, consequently, I fell asleep and then motivation drifted along with us to dreamland.  Lucky for us, the day ended on an effortless high note when our dear friends came over and made dinner Nicaraguan style, complete with our favorite tostones (fried plantains!). Saturday morning, I headed out for a longish run with another old friend along river road.  Often, I take Rachel the dog or Misha with me when I run, so running solo feels like a treat.  I love my little home team, but I feel so light with my hands free.  Post run, Misha and I checked out our local farmer's market.  Not many vegetables

Today I made a pesto from my inherited 1977 Moosewood cookbook.  My mom wrote "good" with a double underline, so I knew it must be a worthy recipe.  I have been preparing giant batches of salads and grilled meats to keep me from eating cereal on nights Mike is at grad school. In my opinion, the trick to tasty wholesome food is in the dressing.  I will eat a plate of plain raw veggies, but I enjoy a tossed salad with a mustardy vinaigrette beneath grilled chicken with a Mediterranean, yogurt-based marinade.   My favorite dressings are light (not saturated in mayonaise) and savory.  I prefer lime and cilantro over lemon and mint.  I avoid garlic because I cannot stand the aftertaste (still...hours later), but I do like green onions, chives, and red onion. Tonight, I tossed whole wheat noodles with a couple scoops of the pesto (recipe below- as noted, I skipped garlic and butter) and served them with tomatoes and olives over salad greens.  Delicious!  (And...nutritious! as I lik

Today I made a pesto from my inherited 1977 Moosewood cookbook.  My mom wrote "good" with a double underline, so I knew it must be a worthy recipe.  I have been preparing giant batches of salads and grilled meats to keep me from eating cereal on nights Mike is at grad school. In my opinion, the trick to tasty wholesome food is in the dressing.  I will eat a plate of plain raw veggies, but I enjoy a tossed salad with a mustardy vinaigrette beneath grilled chicken with a Mediterranean, yogurt-based marinade.   My favorite dressings are light (not saturated in mayonaise) and savory.  I prefer lime and cilantro over lemon and mint.  I avoid garlic because I cannot stand the aftertaste (still...hours later), but I do like green onions, chives, and red onion. Tonight, I tossed whole wheat noodles with a couple scoops of the pesto (recipe below- as noted, I skipped garlic and butter) and served them with tomatoes and olives over salad greens.  Delicious!  (And...nutritious! as I

Goodness gracious.  Misha man is two months plus a little extra something somethin.  Today was his two month doctor's appointment.  The boy is growing!  Since his birth, he has almost doubled in weight.  Misha weighed in at 11 lbs. 6 ounces.  At 23 1/4 inches long, Misha is in the 63% for length and his long legs suggest this may continue increase.  And, according to our spunky pediatrician, Misha is on the verge of releasing his first rounds of laughter! Over the last few weeks, Misha has learned some new tricks.  He... -smiles often (when awake and asleep!) -holds his hands together -smiles at colorful mobiles -pushes off of his legs when held or laying on his back -rolls from his belly onto his back -enjoys the pacifier Misha loves... -morning jumping exercises and dancing to "Gangnam Style" -listening to us read books to him and staring at the illustrations -bath time in his blue kitchen sink bathtub. -getting his diaper changed (once the d